In a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, as a technique for simultaneously realizing the formation of a fine pattern of not more than 100 nm and mass productivity, an optical nanoimprint method of transferring a pattern of an original plate (template pattern) on a transferred substrate (such as a wafer) has attracted attention. In the optical nanoimprint method, a template formed with a pattern to be transferred is pressed against a photocurable material layer (resist layer) coated on a wafer, and the resist layer is cured by light irradiation, whereby the pattern is transferred to the resist layer. The optical nanoimprint method is expected to be applied to semiconductor lithography.
In the optical nanoimprinting, when a template is pressed against resist coated on a shot (edge shot) of a wafer outer peripheral portion by an ink jet method, the resist is spread due to the surface tension. Then, the resist spreads to the rear surface side of the wafer across a resist elimination region provided at the wafer outer peripheral portion. Thus, the rear surface of the wafer may be contaminated. Further, the resist spreads on a template surface on the resist elimination region and in a template pattern portion (recess). Thus, the cured resist stuck to the template side may be peeled from the template.
Thus, there is a problem that yield is reduced by contamination of the wafer rear surface and peeling of the resist. Further, a semiconductor manufacturing device is contaminated by the contamination of the wafer rear surface and the peeling of the resist, so that since the contamination is required to be removed, there is a problem an operating rate is reduced. Thus, it is desirable to perform imprinting while preventing resist from spreading in an undesired region of a substrate outer peripheral portion.